103181: Ruling on studying accountancy and working as an accountant in various companies and organizations

I am a young man in the final year of studies to gain a qualification in the department of economics. Because of my speciality, my field of work will – in sha Allaah – be in companies and contracting. But unfortunately here these companies sometimes – in fact usually – deal with riba (usury), and out wealth is deposited in riba-based banks. We do not have any Islamic banks. So my working in these companies as an accountant, for example, will involve recording riba-based transactions, calculating interest such as interest for delayed payments, writing cheques and bills of exchange which may be used when dealing with debts. And there are other haraam and dubious transactions, in addition to the fact that it will be impossible to offer my prayers in the mosque.
1. What do you advise me? Should I work in these companies? Should I continue my studies after I get qualified? Or should I change direction because of these dubious matters?
2. If I work in these companies in a different job, such as distribution or selling their products to grocery stores, is that permissible?
3. I did not do any exams to get into schools such as the police academy and so on because of what they involve of neglecting the rights of Allaah. Did I do the right thing?.

Published Date: 2009-01-31

Praise be to Allaah.

We ask
Allaah to help and guide you, and to reward you with good for your piety,
and to help you find halaal work and halaal income.

There is
no reason why you should not study accountancy, because all companies and
organizations need this knowledge and can benefit from it.

The
permissibility of studying this knowledge does not mean that a Muslim may
work as an accountant in riba-based banks whose actions are based on haraam
principles, or in companies, institutions and factories that mix haraam with
halaal in their work and wealth, because recording riba is sinful and
deserves punishment, as it is cooperating in sin and transgression; all of
these are haraam matters.

It was
narrated that Jaabir (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) cursed the one who
consumes riba and the one who pays it, the one who writes it down and the
two who witness it, and he said: they are all the same. Narrated by Muslim
1598.

Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: This clearly indicates that
it is haraam to record a transaction between two who engage in riba, or to
witness it for them, and it shows that it is haraam to cooperate in
falsehood. End quote.

Sharh
Muslim
(11/26)

Al-San’aani (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

i.e., he
prayed that the people mentioned be cast far away from mercy, which is
indicative that the ones mentioned are sinning and that what they do is
haraam. The one who consumes riba is singled out for mention because he is
the one who benefits most from it, but others are also like him. What is
meant by the one who pays it is the one who gives it, because riba is only
acquired from him, so he is included in the sin. The sin of the one who
records it and the two who witness it is because they are helping in the
haraam action; that is if they were aware of the riba. End quote from
Subul al-Salaam (3/66).

So there
is no reason why you should not study accountancy, within the shar’i
guidelines, and it is permissible for you to work after that in places where
haraam actions are not committed, such as shar’i courts, or companies and
organizations whose work is permissible. If you do not find any, then you
can work in permissible departments, such as distribution of companies’ and
factories’ products, and it will not matter if the company’s wealth is in
the bank or that it gives or takes loans on a haraam basis. What matters in
this regard is that the work that you do is halaal, such as distribution of
halaal products, or that the organization should not be based on something
haraam, such as riba-based banks or breweries and so on.

The
scholars of the Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas were asked:

I work
as an accountant in a Saudi company that works in the field of machine
maintenance. This company has been forced to take loans from a riba-based
bank, and these loans are based on monthly interest. As the company’s
accountant I am forced to issue cheques and record transactions and income
in the company’s ledgers, which includes this interest as expenses paid from
the bank account. Please note that I advised the manager, and he said that
he was forced to take that money from the bank to pay the workers’ salaries
and buy various raw materials for the company’s projects so as to keep the
company running. I objected strongly to that, and threatened to resign, but
as you know, my residency visa (iqaamah) is with them, and they told me
frankly that they would not let me transfer the sponsorship to work
somewhere else, rather they would issue an exit visa so that I would be
deported to my home country. You are well aware of the religious and worldly
benefits that I find in this country, by Allaah’s grace. Allaah has blessed
us with guidance in this land, praise be to Allaah. My question is:

What
should I do now? Should I continue working and advise them expressing my
extreme disapproval, or should I submit my resignation and go back to my own
country which as you know is in a bad situation in both religious and
worldly terms?

They
replied:

Working
in the company mentioned, which takes loan with interest from the bank, and
recording them in the company’s ledgers, is not permissible, because that is
recording riba, and it is proven in Saheeh al-Bukhaari that the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) cursed the one who
consumes riba and the one who pays it, the one who writes it down and the
two who witness it, and he said: they are all the same. You have to look for
another job and Allaah will make things easy for you, in sha Allaah. Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And
whosoever fears Allaah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him
to get out (from every difficulty).

3. And He will provide him from (sources) he never could imagine”

[al-Talaaq 65:2-3]

May
Allaah make things easy for you and sent the affairs of all straight. End
quote.

It is
not permissible to work in riba-based organizations even if one is a driver
or guard, because taking on work with riba-based organizations implies that
one approves of it; the one who denounces a thing cannot work in its favour,
and if he works in its favour then he is approving of it, and the one who
approves of something haraam will bear some of the burden of sin. But the
one who is directly involved in writing down, recording, sending, depositing
and so on, is no doubt directly involved in doing something haraam, and it
is proven in the hadeeth of Jaabir (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) cursed the one who
consumes riba and the one who pays it, the one who writes it down and the
two who witness it, and he said: they are all the same..